Rated: R
Stars: Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LeBeouf, Michael Pena
Plot: Five brave soldiers take their tank behind enemy lines to do their part to help win World War II.
Trailer
Clint Says: Rent this if you like war movies, buy this if you love war movies
If you are a war movie fan this is a masterpiece. The action is intense, non-stop and brutal. For you, I would recommend buying this and watching it on the biggest screen with the loudest sound system possible.
For those of you looking for a great film that happens to be about war, you'll be left wanting. While it is a phenomenal story of five men facing insurmountable odds and the acting is superb, the depth of character just isn't there. We catch tiny glimpses into what makes each of these men who they are, but it's not enough for the audience to be fully invested in their lives.
The plot is very simplistic, which in this case is fine, because the movie is so intense I doubt we could handle much more.
As far as straight up war movies go, this may be one of the best ones ever made.
THE BOOK OF LIFE
Rated: PG
Stars: Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum
Plot: Two men battle for the love of one woman while the masters of death have a wager on the outcome.
Trailer
Clint Says: It's worth seeing once
This is a fascinating film. If you only look at the plot it's an average movie at best, but because of the unique animation style and the cultural aspect of the film it makes it worth seeing.
The Day Of The Dead imagery throughout the film is spectacular and the glimpse into the Hispanic culture relating to one of their most important holidays is fascinating. I was intrigued by this movie, but I realized the cultural significance of it when I observed a family of Hispanic descent after seeing the film. The adults were all wiping away tears of joy and the children were bouncing with excitement.
The soundtrack of the film is also unique and very good. Most of the songs are either current hits or very popular songs remade into music that fits the theme of the movie. Trust me, you've never heard Mumford and Sons like this.
Surprisingly, given the subject matter of the film, there are very few scenes that I would consider scary for the younger kids. It's not squeaky clean, but if your child can handle a little bit of tension and drama they will enjoy this film.
THE JUDGE
Rated: R
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall
Plot: A big-time lawyer returns to his home town and his estranged father, a judge, who is accused of murder.
Trailer
Clint Says: See this film as soon as possible
This film is powerful, intense and emotional. Downey Jr. and Duvall give masterful performances that are award-worthy and probably just shy of Oscar nominations.
It is almost 2 1/2 hours long and there are parts where it feels like it's dragging, but overall it's paced well.
This is much less a courtroom drama than it is a story of family, loss and reconciliation. It's by no means a fun, popcorn flick. It will break your heart and make you want to try harder with your own family.
BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP
Rated: R
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong
Plot: A woman wakes everyday without remembering anything from her past, but she begins to realize that the people around her may not be who they claim to be
Trailer
Clint Says: Rent it when you get around to it
Nicole Kidman does an outstanding job of playing a person that can't remember anything one day to the next. She pulls off the "terrified of the unknown" malady in a very convincing fashion. Unfortunately, the plot is rather slow-moving and easily predictable.
It feels like the director realized he didn't have a lot to work with story-wise to make a thrilling film, so he added a bunch of jump-out-of-the-closet-and-say-boo moments to get the audiences' collective heart rate up. It feels really contrived and lazy.
Without Kidman's fine performance this movie probably would have bordered on unwatchable. Thankfully, she makes it tolerable enough to at least give it a watch once.
